How to cool your home faster

Before you crank up the aircon at full blast to cool your hot home down, you might want to consider the affect of your thermostat adjustments on your energy bills.

Air conditioners can consume a lot of energy if not used effectively and can make up a significant chunk of your energy bill. So how do you cool your home on a hot day without burning a hole in your pocket? The simple solution - use a ceiling fan and aircon together.

How does a ceiling fan work?

Since the invention of the first ceiling fan by Philip Diehl in 1882, ceiling fans have evolved. They can be used for cooling as well as boosting your home heating systems.

When you turn on the ceiling fan, the blades turn and push the air downward. While the air circulation doesn’t really make you feel cold but it will help disperse the body heat and evaporate perspiration making you feel cooler. Ceiling fans can make the room temperature feel at least 5 degrees cooler in summer.

Fans can also help heat the room and can be used during winter to stay warm. If your fan allows the blades to reverse their operation, they will rotate clockwise generating an updraft. The cooler air will move upwards mixing with the warmer air from your heating system above. The mixed/warmed air will then move gently downwards creating a warming effect.

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How to reduce the temperature in your home more effectively?

Set the air conditioner temperature to 24 - Did you know setting the thermostat a degree cooler can add up to 10% (for each degree) to your energy costs? Keep the aircon temperature as close as possible to 24C to maintain the energy efficiency of the unit. That means if the temperature outside is 30, the temperature setting should be 24-26 degrees instead of 18-20 degrees to keep running costs down.
Run your aircon and ceiling fan together - When you run the ceiling fan and aircon together, the cold air will distribute more effectively throughout the room. Your aircon will push the cold air out but can be slow to circulate through the room. Using a fan in its default setting will allow the cold air to move to hot spaces and throughout your home lowering the indoor temperature without expensive power bills.
Only cool the rooms you are using - Keep the doors and windows closed to keep the cool air in the rooms you are actually using.
Close the blinds and curtains - Closing the blinds and curtains in the morning will prevent the sun and the ambient heat outside from warming your home. This works for winter too, helping to keep the warmth inside.